Every year since 2000, The Inspired Home Show and the International Housewares Association have honored outstanding home and housewares retailers from around the world. This year, 32 national winners of these Global Innovation Awards (gia) for retail have been selected for recognition at The Inspired Home Show 2024.
Each of these winners will be featured in the Hall of Global Innovation, located in the lobby of McCormick Place’s North Building. At the Show, they’ll also be evaluated by an independent jury who will select five Global Honorees. These international winners will be revealed at the invitation-only gia gala on Sunday, March 17.
At the Show, gia retail judges will also share more information about winners, as well as tips and insights into innovative retail strategies, in an education session open to all attendees. That session will take place Monday, March 18 in the Inspiration Theater.
Here’s a sneak peek at the second half of this year’s national winners. (We profiled the first half in last week’s post.)
Livrpool
Mexico City, Mexico
www.liverpool.com.mx
- Who They Are: A chain of 124 department stores established in Mexico in 1847
- Reason for Being: Being the most attractive retailer to Mexicans for service, assortment and value
- Part of the Experience: State-of-the-art merchandising and displays, along with special events like their massive Gaming Fest
- Area of Emphasis: Investing in e-commerce, including the Liverpool Pocket App
Home Centre
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
www.homecentre.com
- Who They Are: The largest omnichannel retailer for home furnishings in the Middle East
- Reason for Being: To enable every home to tell its own unique story
- What You’ll Find: Products sourced from more than 50 countries
- Area of Emphasis: Customer-first approach
Kookx
Twello, Netherlands
www.kookxwinkel.nl
- Store Design: A unique concept that includes products and services to support the installation of full kitchens, as well as individual appliances, cookware and cooking tools
- How It Feels: Customers often say they’re surprised by the welcoming, homey atmosphere that’s combined with beautiful, high-quality products
- Part of the Experience: Weekly product demonstrations and cooking workshops
- Secret Ingredient: Store employees, who share customers’ passion for cooking and dining
Smith & Caughey’s
Auckland, New Zealand
www.smithandcaugheys.co.nz
- Who They Are: A family-owned business since 1880 that’s now New Zealand’s leading department store
- Reason for Being: Preserving their heritage while continuously innovating
- Areas of Emphasis: Exceptional experiences, unique products and a touch of luxury
- Part of the Experience: A quaint café – a haven for wine enthusiasts – and a Veuve Clicquot pop-up champagne bar
Sodimac y Maestro
Lima, Peru
www.sodimac.com.pe
- Who They Are: A home improvement company with operations in six Latin American countries
- How It Began: Peruvian operations began in 2004
- What You’ll Find: 40,000 home décor and construction products to equip, remodel or build homes
- Part of the Experience: Tablets and screens help in-store shoppers view digital catalogs, access tutorials and gather product information
Premium Home
Warsaw, Poland
www.premium-home.eu
- Reason for Being: Offering beautiful home products that are of the highest quality
- What You’ll Find: Attractive and functional tableware and kitchenware, as well as lifestyle products and gifts
- Claim to Fame: Innovative visual merchandising and displays (Shopping centers often invite them to set up displays in common areas or temporarily unoccupied shop windows)
- Special Touches: Table decorations, customization of any in-store decoration, and home delivery
COTTOOK – Kitchen’s Life
Lisbon, Portugal
www.cottook.com
- Who They Are: A specialty kitchen shop established in 2019
- Reason for Being: Being the go-to store for all your kitchen accessories and small appliances
- Where They’re At: A fashionable Lisbon neighborhood
- How It Feels: Spacious, inviting and bright, thanks to large windows facing the street
NICE
Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia
www.nice.com.sa
- What You’ll Find: A variety of options for both traditional and modern Saudi homes
- Areas of Emphasis: Showcasing emerging local design talent alongside carefully curated established brands
- Secret Ingredient: A highly experienced purchasing team with multi-cultural backgrounds
- On The Map: Revolutionizing the local retail landscape by prioritizing emotion, digital integration and sustainability
Trends Home
Palma, Spain
www.trendshome.es
- Who They Are: A kitchenware, furniture and decoration shop that’s known for its unique style and passion for design
- What You’ll Find: Leading international brands that help create home environments inspired by Mediterranean culture and Nordic and minimalist trends
- Areas of Emphasis: Sustainable and comfortable materials
- Tagline: Live Your Home
Loeb AG
Bern, Switzerland
www.loeb.ch
- Who They Are: A department store established in 1881
- Area of Emphasis: Providing the highest quality of service
- Claim to Fame: The largest store window in Switzerland (50 m²), which is well-known for housing creative displays; it can even be used as special event space
- Part of the Experience: Pop-up areas that are constantly changing
TAC
Istanbul, Turkey
www.tacev.com.tr
- Who They Are: A new network of 76 stores; the first opened in 2017
- What You’ll Find: A diverse selection of items for cooking and serving
- Special Touch: Little surprises, like snacks cooked at display stands
- Part of the Experience: Cooking events, new product launch parties and happy hours
PosudMeister
Kiev, Ukraine
www.posudmeister.ua
- Who They Are: A specialty tableware, kitchenware and giftware retailer with six stores, established in 1996
- What You’ll Find: Everything from exquisite porcelain sets for dining and tea ceremonies to everyday kitchenware items, as well as their own branded products and fashionable home décor
- Area of Emphasis: They also offer an elite tableware online store
- Of Special Note: Stores have remained open during the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, providing customers with a feeling of security and normalcy
Divertimenti
London, United Kingdom
www.divertimenti.co.uk
- Tagline: The Ultimate Cookshop
- On the Map: Over 500 m² of sales space located on London’s famous Brompton Road
- What You’ll Find: Kitchenware and tableware from around the world, with over half of products being exclusive, handmade or unique
- Claim to Fame: A cooking school with an enviable roster of Michelin-starred chefs, MasterChef winners and published authors (Many famous chefs even gave their first demonstration here)
Home – Grupo Disco del Uruguay
Montevideo, Uruguay
www.disco.com.uy
- Who They Are: A set of three stores catering to both locals and international visitors looking to equip their summer homes with the latest global trends
- Where They’re At: Located in Uruguay’s most exclusive seaside resort towns
- What You’ll Find: A wide range of home décor, lighting products, tableware, glassware, accessories, gifts, and bed and bath linens
- Store Design: Customers are greeted at the door by original items for a great day at the beach: sun umbrellas, throws, towels and beach recliners. Seaside music and scents help set the mood.
Mix It Up Home & Gift
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho – USA (Giftware Retailers)
www.mixituphome.com
- Where They’re At: Two stores located two blocks apart in the downtown district of this outdoor resort town
- Areas of Emphasis: Creativity, customer service and community
- Tagline: Where fun and festive meet, and style intertwines with taste – it’s all in the MIX
- Special Touch: Creatively incorporating events that serve to invite customers in, rather than waiting for them enter on their own
The Cook’s Shop
Marietta, Ohio – USA (Housewares Retailers)
www.thecooksshop.com
- Where They’re At: A relative newcomer (2009) located in a 1912-era building in a historic Victorian town
- Store Design: A 15-foot-high tin ceiling, crooked wooden floors and slow-moving fans make customers feel like they’re stepping back in time
- What You’ll Find: New and innovative products, one-third of which are made in the USA
- Special Touch: Recipes from the store’s popular cooking classes are available in their cookbook, Eat Drink and Be Marietta, now in its fourth edition
Find profiles of the first half of retailers named as 2024 national gia winners here.